As Nigeria marks another Democracy Day on June 12, scores of young citizens say they have little reason to celebrate.
For the generation born after the return to civil rule in 1999, democracy has become less a symbol of freedom and more a painful ledger of broken promises, rising debt, shrinking opportunities and deepening poverty.
While politicians deliver speeches about democratic gains, many young Nigerians say they have inherited a country weighed down by debt, unemployment and inflation. To them, democracy’s dividends have been captured by a tiny elite while the majority struggle merely to survive.
A graduate, turned transport operator, Emberga Gabriel, told BusinessDay that recent economic reforms have further worsened the situation for many young Nigerians.
He cited rising fuel prices, inflation, unemployment and declining purchasing power as evidence that democracy’s benefits have not trickled down to ordinary citizens.
“We love our country, but the country doesn’t seem
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